1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to laryngoscopy, and particularly to a collapsible laryngoscope for endotracheal intubation and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laryngoscopy is a medical procedure that is used to obtain a view of the vocal folds and the glottis of a patient. Laryngoscopy may be performed to facilitate tracheal intubation during general anesthesia, or for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or for procedures on the larynx or other parts of the upper tracheobronchial tree.
Direct laryngoscopy is typically carried out with the patient lying on his or her back. The laryngoscope is inserted into the mouth on the right side and flipped to the left to trap and move the tongue out of the line of sight, and depending upon the type of blade used, may be inserted either anterior or posterior to the epiglottis and then lifted with an upwards and forward motion, away from the user and towards the floor of the patient's mouth. This move makes a view of the glottis possible. Laryngoscopy is extremely uncomfortable and is not typically performed on conscious patients, or on patients with an intact gag reflex.
FIG. 3 illustrates use of a conventional laryngoscope 100 having a curved or “Macintosh” type blade 104, which is joined to a handle 102. As shown, the Macintosh blade 104 is positioned in the vallecula V anterior to the epiglottis E and just behind the root of the patient's tongue 108, lifting the epiglottis E out of the visual pathway. This allows an endotracheal tube 106 or the like to be fed through a channel 110 defined in the curved blade 104 into the patient's trachea T. The channel 110, however, provides limited access to the patient's trachea 1, having dimensions not much greater than the typically small endotracheal tube 106. Further, as is well known, it can be extremely difficult to properly view the glottis opening and position the distal end of blade 104 in the vallecula V, thus making it extremely difficult to gain access to the trachea T. This difficulty in viewing the vocal cords is often due to misaligned oropharyngeal, pharyngeal and laryngeal axes, retrognathia (i.e., the inability to prognath the jaw), long upper incisors, decreased submental compliance, and redundant oropharyngeal tissue (e.g., a large tongue, tonsils, etc.), pharyngeal tissue (e.g., pharyngeal adipose pads), and similar conditions. Additionally, the simultaneous use of a conventional oxygen mask of the type used with bag and mask ventilation, as in anesthesia circuits, and a conventional laryngoscope 100 having a handle 102 is not possible. With regard to the latter consideration, bag and mask ventilation with such a system is a necessary option in many procedures, but is impossible with conventional scope 100 due to the obstruction caused by handle 102 protruding from the mouth. It would obviously be desirable to provide a laryngoscope which can be placed in the oral airway, following induction of anesthesia, which could be used simultaneously with bag and mask ventilation, providing a channel for fresh gas flow and the exchange of expired gases until intubating conditions are met. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a laryngoscope which does not protrude from the mouth of the patient when it is in use.
Thus, a collapsible laryngoscope solving the aforementioned problems is desired.